Machine for forming cattle food into compressed bodies



April 14, 1931. E, JOHNSTON 1,800,890

MACHINE FOR FORMING CATTLE FOOD INTO COMPRESSED BODIES Filed Feb. 20, 1930' Jbhnslon' Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATES pm ENT or fice Fla-Andie icensees, or sari Jessie, MISSOURI MAonINE role sommsesswm noon in rddoi'lrrimssnn nomns Application filed Februar 20', 31 1930. Serial 1103430921.

* This invention relates to improvements in machines for forming food mixtures, particularly cattle foods into particles of definits-size andshape. i 5 The primary obect of the present inven- "tion is to provide a machine which will operate upon a sheetof a food composition or mixture-fedthereto; to compress andcut the same into small bodies so that the food as 1Qpreparedforvserving to the cattle will be in the form ofcoarse particleswhich the cattle can readily pick up and chew.

Anotherbbject of the invention is to prowide -in-amachine of the above described character improved means for moving the a formed particles from theforming elements "of the, machine so that the machine" may be operated continuously and without annoyance'resulting from-theclinging of the food.

particles thereto.

A still further'objlect of the invention is to provide a novel meanswfor controlling a 7 series of annular cutting elements connected F by axially parallel wires or bars which are .employed 1 fbr removing; the formed food particles from recesses formed about the periphery of forming disks or wheels, the annular cutting disks being disposed between the forming disks.

The invention will be best understood from from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the 1111(16I- standing, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed cate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views, the numeral 1111Cl1C2LteS a drivingshai't which is supported in anyconvenient manner as for example by bearings 2 transversely of a suitable conveyor element I 3 upon which the cattle food is fed in the form of a relativelywide'ribbon of thede sired thickness, the ribbon of food being here indicated by the numeral 4:.

As is Well known certain cattle foods are -made up with a binder-of heavy black mo- [asses which forms such a'largepart of the food that it is hard to handle both in winter and in summer. In. summer the food is sticky or gummy andj'in winter it becomes frozenunlessit is kept storedin a proper place, so that it is sometimesnecessary to chop it up before it canbe fed tothe. cattle.

By suitably combining and ,1 mixing dry materials and heavy molasses and then passing it through rollers and tampers of any suitable type, the ribbon or sheet of food such as indicated by t'hegnumeral 4 may be produced and. conducted to .and under the; ma-

chine. about toybe described, this machine 'acting-gto formthe ribbon or} sheet of food into small uniform particles or bodies of suit iicient hardness wvi'ththe resultthat the food will not stick togetherin Warm weather or freeze into a solid. mass in cold weather.

Mounted upon theshatt. 1"is,a series oi relatively broad; forming disks; Leach ofwhich is indicated by the numeral 5. Eachof these disks .5 hasthegperipherythereof formed to provide a pluralityof: transverse: grooves 6,

L the dividing portions betWee111theY grooves beinig tapered bfi' into. relatively sharppoints for edges7 which readily' penetrate. the ribhon of food lfin the mannerillustrated.

These disks-5i are separated. upon the; shaft 1 in any suitable manner asy for lexample by the interpositionirtg therehetween. of wscparatingWashersS or, of course, eachjotthe disks be providedilon.e'ach-facewith a boss or shoulderthrough .Whichthe shaft 1 may; extend, these shoulde1 s.ot course coming into abutting relation when the disks are as- "s m le L l. 3. l. l. .1 i

Di posed betw en Beach ipairnt disks and adjacent the outer "face of each end disk '5 is '75 an annular cutting ring Qwhich as shown in Figure 2 closes one end of one or more of the grooves 6 of an adjacent disk when the teeth at the opposite side of the groove penetrate the body of food 4 thus forming a portion of the food in the shape of the groove or recess 6 and of a length equal to the width of the forming disk.

The series I of cutting rings 9 are connected by the axially parallel rods or wires 10 which are so spaced that each may take up a position in the crotch of a recess 6 of each disk 5 as'it reaches the lowest point in its rotary-movement with the rings to which-it is attached. As will be readily seen from an inspection of Figure 2 each of the rods, when it comes to a position directly beneath the shaft 1, is firmly held'in a crotch of a groove 6, of

each disk, also directlybeneath the shaft 1, and as this rod and groove each moves around its respectivecircle they will separate one from the other so that the rod will force from the groove the particle or body offood which has been compressed thereinto.

Inaddition to the rods 10 acting to force the formed bodies of food from the grooves 6 of the disks the teeth or portions 7 between the'gr ooves of the disks engage between the rods and pull upon them and the attached cutting disks so that the necessary rotary movement is imparted to the cutting disks as will be readily understood.

From theforegoing description it willbe readily seen that with a machine'of the character herein described sheets for ribbons of food or other material fed thereto in this form maybe readily cut up into blocks or bodies of the desired size and shape and-in the forming of these bodies the machine will notbecome clogged or gummedup' no matter how sticky the material worked upon may be. 1

It'will also be readily apparent that a machine of the character herein described may a be easily and economically constructed, will be strong and durable and require little or no attention when in use. Y Y

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is V I V a '91. In a machine for forming cattle food into small compressed bodies, a plurality of I peripherally transversely grooved rotating disks adapted to have the food passed there-' beneath in the-form of a flat ribbon, cutting elements surrounding the pivotalaxis of'and Y1 disposed between the diskswfor closing theends of the grooves as the disks cut into the food, and means for forcibly removing the bodies of food from thegrooves after being compressedtherein. V i

2. In a machine for forming cattle food into smallcompressed'bodies, a plurality of axially aligned disks, means for maintaining the disks in spaced relation, said disks having transversely extending peripheral groovesj 1 formed therein to receive the food material-,

been compressed therein.

annular cutting rings of a diameter materialthe grooves of said disks for removing particles of food therefrom as the same are formed, i

ly greater than the disks, disposed between the disks and adapted to be rotated therewith, v and means adapted to move into and out of Ina machinefor formin'g cattle food into small compressed bodies, a plurality of axially aligned disks, means for maintaining the disks inspaced relation, said disks having transversely, extending peripheral "grooves formed therein to receive the food 7 material, annular cutting ringslof a diameter T materially greater than the disks, disposed between thedisks and adapted to belrotated therewith, and food particle removing ibars connecting the cutting: rings andextending axially of the disks andifurther adapted to enter aligned ones of the food particleforming grooves to position in the crotc'hes thereof as the foodis pressed. thereinto and :forc-i .ing thepressed food from'the grooves 'asfthe disks and rings rot-ate'y 4.: Ina machine "for: forming cattle food into small compressed bodiesfa plurality of peripherally transversely groove'd rotating disks adapted to have. thefood'passed'the re- 

